A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.
Not only was Eleanor Roosevelt the longest serving first lady, she was one of the most influential. Throughout her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s 4 terms – and beyond – she worked tirelessly as a political leader and human rights advocate.
In the process, she left behind many powerful quotes that have since made her famous. Below, you will find the ones that continue to inspire us today.
The 30 Best Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Friendship with ones self is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt
I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on. – Eleanor Roosevelt
I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. – Eleanor Roosevelt
If someone betrays you once, it’s their fault; if they betray you twice, it’s your fault. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life. – Eleanor Roosevelt
One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else. – Eleanor Roosevelt
It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. – Eleanor Roosevelt
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. – Eleanor Roosevelt
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do. – Eleanor Roosevelt
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Anyone who knows history, particularly the history of Europe, will, I think, recognize that the domination of education or of government by any one particular religious faith is never a happy arrangement for the people. – Eleanor Roosevelt
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt
I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision. – Eleanor Roosevelt
It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect. – Eleanor Roosevelt
In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. – Eleanor Roosevelt
What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?
I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday. – Eleanor Roosevelt
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. – Eleanor Roosevelt
I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life. – Eleanor Roosevelt
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart. – Eleanor Roosevelt
